We’ve been enjoying the summer for more than a few weeks already, but it’s right now — when July melts its way into August — that the summer harvest is at its peak. Summer squash is plentiful, bouquets of basil are everywhere, and tomatoes are starting to ripen. It’s at this moment that you should be running into the kitchen to take advantage of the most bountiful time of year. In this heat, I’d like to forgo food altogether, or subsist on only fruit, but my stomach just isn’t having it.
This week we are going to share with you 2 recipes that are quite the basic – it’s simple, easy and we promise that it’s delicious. We decided to share you our all time favorite bread – ciabatta and serve along with a refreshing sauce – coriander chutney! You could always implement both of the recipes into other dishes!
Personally, I have been trying to get over my fear of baking with yeast and making bread in general. “Everyone who tries this homemade Italian bread loves it.” That’s what we feel after we first have ciabatta, thus we can vouch for that.
Ciabatta is, in the words of Field, “a remarkable combination of rustic, country texture and elegant, tantalizing taste. It’s much lighter than its homely shape would indicate, and the porous, chewy interior is enclosed in a slightly crunchy crust.”
Unlike most bread recipes that usually says something like “form the dough into a ball” at some point. This one did not – it is wet and sticky. At first, I was a bit skeptical when we are making it. However, there is nothing for you to worries at all if you keep on practice and follow the recipe. This is an excellent beginner recipe, as there’s not much kneading involved and you just kind of let the dough do its own thing, which is just fine, because trust me, it knows what it is doing.
Ingredients – 2 large loaves |
500g strong white flour
2 tsp of dried fast-action yeast
2 tsp of fine sea salt
Olive oil, as needed
400ml of warm water
METHOD |
Whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Pour in the warm water, and beat it well with a wooden spoon.
When the dough is well combined, flour your hands, stick ’em in a bowl, and pull parts of the dough up and slap it back down into the bowl. Do this for another 5 minutes. This will push air bubbles into the dough and create nice holes when it bakes.
Oil a large bowl, then plop the dough into that bowl. Drizzle your olive oil over the top of the dough, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and cover with at towel. Place the bowl in a warm spot and allow it to rise for 18 hours.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then sprinkle it with flour. Flour your hands, and shape the dough into a long loaf, about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with a just a touch of flour for strictly aesthetic purposes, then bake for 35-40 minutes, until the bread is lightly golden. If you tap the bread, you should feel like it’s hollow – that’s how you know it’s ready!
A slight twist on the classic, with a dairy-free option if you use coconut yogurt. coriander chutney can be blitzed up in seconds and add a pop to the spiced sweet beef. We love cilantro, ate it with most of the dishes! When we get a taste of the coriander chutney, we could never separate coriander and chutney anymore. What we really love about this coriander chutney is the texture. Don’t get me wrong, we love a good thick chunky chutney. But this particular chutney is wet, and thin, which makes it perfect for dipping.
INGREDIENTS |
large handful of coriander
knob of ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
2 green chilies, deseeded and chopped
1 tbsp of light brown soft sugar
Juice of 1 lime
METHOD |
Blitz all the ingredients together in a food processor with 3 tbsp of cold water and a good amount of salt to make a thin, green sauce. It should be hot, sweet, salty and fragrant.
Reviewed by EL KATIBI MARIA
on
July 17, 2023
Rating:
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